Ch 57: My Wolf Husband

In the mountains, time seems to pass unnoticed. Though spring has just arrived, with snow still lingering at the foot of the mountain, the forest itself already feels like the height of summer.

In the wolf den, the newborn pups have opened their eyes and learned to walk. They wobble out of the den one by one, tilting their heads up to bask in the sunlight, letting out contented little snores.

Lin Shuishi, however, found the heat unbearable, especially at night, making sleep rather frustrating.

Fuli had begun to notice the difference. In the past, as soon as night fell, the little one would instinctively snuggle into his arms, pressing his cool hands and feet into his armpits and between his legs, clinging tightly as if wanting to merge into one person.

Now, when Fuli moved closer, the delicate creature would push him away with a grimace, only giving a perfunctory kiss. When things heated up and he couldn’t help himself, his partner couldn’t handle the heat and would feel faint, forcing Fuli to hold back. These days, Fuli was having a hard time.

Fuli was like a furnace! His body temperature was exceptionally high, which was comfortable in winter, but unbearable in summer. A few days ago, Lin Shuishi woke up in the den to find that Fuli had already left, yet he still felt stiflingly hot. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was surrounded by fine, silver fur all over the wooden bed, like being buried in fluff. No wonder it was so hot.

The scene was all too familiar—many wolves in the den had already begun shedding their winter coats, with fur floating everywhere, only to be swept away by the wind. The white wolves were faring better, but the gray and green wolves were all patchy and mottled.

So, Lin Shuishi couldn’t help but wonder how one would shed a winter coat in human form…

He watched Fuli doze off, staying up all night, and finally, he saw it!

In the middle of the night, Fuli, deep in sleep, silently transformed into a massive silver wolf, making the already-expanded den feel cramped.

But Fuli seemed unaware, shedding a lot of downy fur as he shifted around. After a while, he reverted to his human form.

Lin Shuishi was fascinated. He quietly got up and gathered the top-quality wolf fur, watching Fuli for the better part of the night. Seeing no further changes, he finally went to sleep.

After that, Lin Shuishi would wake up in the middle of the night, automatically checking on the person beside him. Sometimes, catching Fuli in his wolf form, he would take advantage of the cool night to give the big wolf a thorough rubdown! The giant wolf remained asleep, even subconsciously pulling Lin Shuishi into the thick fur of his chest with a paw.

The temperature difference between day and night was significant, and in the cool of the night, Lin Shuishi would burrow into the soft wolf fur beneath him and fall soundly asleep.

Today, after a recent rain, the weather was a bit cooler. A gentle breeze wafted through the mountain ridge. Lin Shuishi, wearing a vest made of hemp cloth, was just beginning to enjoy the refreshing coolness when Fuli, who had returned shirtless from patrolling the mountain, hoisted him over his shoulder and carried him into the den.

Lying on Fuli’s broad back, Lin Shuishi expected to feel hot, but instead, he found the skin under his hands cool to the touch. Unable to resist, he clung to him, snuggling close with sticky affection.

“Why are you so cool today? Could it be that you’re sick?” Lin Shuishi asked in a worried tone, hastily reaching out to feel Fuli’s forehead, checking for any signs of fever.

However, Fuli simply tucked Lin Shuishi’s thin arms against his chest and shook his head. “On the western side, there’s snowmelt from the mountain peaks that forms a waterfall. I stood under it for a while. It’s refreshing.”

Lin Shuishi knew about that waterfall—Fuli had taken him past it during one of their mountain patrols. The thought of it filled him with a mix of surprise and warmth. The waterfall was incredibly cold, its water rushing down in a powerful, majestic flow. Only someone with Fuli’s iron physique would dare to stand beneath it, let alone for “a while.”

So, Lin Shuishi wrapped his arms around Fuli’s broad waist, softly mumbling that Fuli shouldn’t go there again. He didn’t mind the heat! Even if he were to be baked by this “big furnace,” he wouldn’t complain!

What Lin Shuishi didn’t expect was that Fuli cooled down quickly but heated up just as fast. Before long, amidst Fuli’s triumphant beastly roar, Lin Shuishi found himself completely melted like a stream…

By the next afternoon, Lin Shuishi was holding his waist, looking at the long-missed sunlight outside the cave, and felt a deep resolve to get in shape!

So, he grabbed a small hoe and headed to the field he had planted behind the mountain. The spring rain had been timely, and the crops were growing well, already sprouting quite tall. The male goose, having found the food here satisfactory, decided to stay. The gray, fuzzy goslings had shed their down feathers and now sported vibrant colors, with their bright red tails looking particularly striking.

Thanks to their efforts, the small field was nearly free of pests, which the geese had devoured as midnight snacks.

Lin Shuishi only needed to pull a few weeds and prepare the rows. He also planted some seeds in the empty spots where nothing had sprouted yet. After finishing, he returned to the wolf den, squatting by the sweet spring water to drink his fill before heading off to cook. He had discovered a grove of green bamboo in the rain-soaked forest, and the spring bamboo shoots, tender and fresh, would pair perfectly with the venison he planned to stew.

Lin Shuishi had already finished his meal, but Fuli and the wolf pack still hadn’t returned, which made him worry. He decided to take a few guard wolves with him to go search.

As dusk approached, after crossing a mountain, he finally spotted Fuli. He was there, calmly surrounded by the wolf pack. But Lin Shuishi noticed something was wrong and frowned as he approached.

In front of Fuli and the wolves was a group of tigers, leopards, wolves, and bears, along with a large herd of sheep, deer, and small forest animals behind them. They all looked in poor condition—thin and exhausted. Lin Shuishi even saw a gray bear with patches of fur missing, yet it was clutching a beehive tightly, perhaps the last of its possessions, which it guarded fiercely.

“Fuli! What happened here?” Lin Shuishi called out from behind the trees, speaking to Fuli without getting too close, wary of the unfamiliar beasts.

As soon as he made a sound, all the animals, startled, turned to look at him, but the wolf king let out a growl and dispersed them. These beleaguered creatures of the mountain, seeing that the white wolf king had accepted them, seemed relieved and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Fuli leaped over to Lin Shuishi, scooping him up and carrying him to a safer path.

The setting sun cast its orange-red glow across the forest, painting the mountains and grasslands in warm hues. The air was filled with the fresh scent of green grass from the meadow, giving the place a sense of peace and vitality.

The wolf pack quickly returned to the den with their prey, where the nursing mother wolves and their cubs were waiting for their meal. Fuli, meanwhile, walked with Lin Shuishi across the rugged terrain, leading them onto the flat grassland for a stroll.

“Their homes are no longer safe,” Fuli explained. “Humans are at war and are seizing forest lands. The beasts have nowhere to go, many have died, and they seek refuge in Dongshan.”

Lin Shuishi was outraged upon hearing this! It’s one thing to wage war, but to conquer lands and even strip wild animals of their habitats—how cruel and overbearing could they be? Or perhaps there was another motive behind it all?

Just as he was deep in thought, Fuli continued, “The wolves we sent down the mountain to deliver prey have returned. There’s no sign of life at that house.”

“What?!” Lin Shuishi was shocked! How could there be no sign of life? War couldn’t have reached a secluded village like Rehe so quickly, or had they been attacked by bandits?

He grew anxious. In these troubled times, the death of a few people might go unnoticed. The Zheng family had always lived quietly and honestly; if something had happened, it might be related to him. Lin Shuishi feared he had brought trouble to them, and even after returning to the wolf den, he was restless.

Fuli was also annoyed and decided to investigate further. If things continued like this, the very foundation of life in the mountains could be threatened! The next day, after Lin Shuishi had tidied up the den, he and Fuli set out again, heading straight for Rehe Village.

To avoid unnecessary conflicts, Lin Shuishi didn’t show himself to the villagers and instead went directly to check on the Zheng family.

The house had been cleared out, with even the grain gone. However, Lin Shuishi noticed that the furniture and belongings were neatly packed, which didn’t look like the work of bandits—it seemed more like they had moved out on their own.

But in such chaotic times, where could they have gone? Was there any place safer than this secluded mountain village?

To ensure the safety of the family, Lin Shuishi left before dawn the next morning and headed back to the county town.

In the county town, the recruitment of soldiers and the collection of grain were in full swing. Although Dingping County was not the largest in terms of size, it was a crucial military stronghold. As the nearest supply town and rear base to Pingzhou, Dingping County was essential for the rapid provisioning of supplies. If the battle in Pingzhou went poorly, Dingping would become the most critical support location.

The town was already under martial law, with no one allowed to enter or leave. At the city gate, Lin Shuishi scratched his head while Fuli quietly assessed the guards and their numbers, calculating how they might force their way in.

But Lin Shuishi, noticing the uniforms of the guards, different from those of the previous city defense soldiers, suddenly remembered the general they had met before. These soldiers clearly belonged to the same faction. Thinking of this, he reached into his bamboo basket, feeling around for a while. He thought he had lost it, but then he found a metal badge at the bottom of the basket.

Under the watchful eyes of the stern city officials, Lin Shuishi took out the badge. “Officer, I’m looking for your General, Shen Ping. Is he available?”

Upon hearing Shen Ping’s name, the city guards quickly took the badge. After confirming its authenticity, their expressions softened.

“Please wait a moment. It turns out you are friends of General Shen. We have sent someone to fetch the general!”

Shen Ping rarely gave out his badge, so when he heard from the city guard who was coming to see him, he could roughly guess who it was. He quickly made his way from the military camp outside the city to the city gate.

“My brothers, it’s been a while! How have you been?” Shen Ping, with his characteristic big beard, greeted Lin Shuishi and Fuli as he rode up on his horse. The city guards, seeing this, stepped aside.

Noticing Shen Ping’s dark circles and somewhat disheveled appearance, Lin Shuishi cupped his hands in greeting. “We came to the town to visit relatives, but who would have thought we wouldn’t be allowed in? We were worried about our family, so we had no choice but to trouble the general.”

Shen Ping waved his hand, dismissing the concern. “It’s nothing, really. I happen to have business in town, so I’ll escort you part of the way.” He dismounted, leading his horse as he walked with them into the city.

As they walked, Lin Shuishi asked, “General, is the situation at the front lines critical?” The man looked utterly exhausted.

Shen Ping hesitated but eventually spoke, “The barbarians have crossed the treacherous Minshan Mountains and are heading straight for Pingzhou. We are currently transporting soldiers and supplies in preparation for a major battle.”

Upon hearing this, the usually silent Fuli suddenly spoke up, “How did they cross Minshan?”

It was the first time Shen Ping had heard the giant warrior speak, and he was momentarily stunned. Once he processed the question, he replied with gritted teeth, “They used the bodies of our fallen soldiers to fill the valleys, burned down the forests to clear paths, and advanced through pillaging and destruction. It won’t be long before they clash with General Zhao in Pingzhou.”

Before he could finish, Shen Ping was called away by urgent matters in the city, leaving Lin Shuishi and Fuli to navigate the streets filled with stationed soldiers.

After asking about Minshan, Fuli became unusually quiet, his entire demeanor shifting. Lin Shuishi, sensing this, decided to first visit Mr. Sun to find Cheng’an and confirm whether the Zheng family was in the county town. Afterward, he planned to gather more details about the situation at Minshan. Fuli seemed agitated.

But before they could reach Mr. Sun’s alley, a familiar voice called out to them.

“Shuishi? Is that you, Shuishi? It’s your brother Dongsheng! What are you doing in the county town?” Dongsheng, upon recognizing Lin Shuishi, was visibly delighted to see him again. But his excitement quickly turned to fear when he saw who was with him.

Dongsheng froze when he saw Fuli, his words caught in his throat, his scalp tingling, and his legs going weak.

This… No, he… How could he dare come to the county town?

Would… Would this thing, no, this person, eat people?